AS CROP OVER 2012 RUSHES?TO?ITS?CLIMAX, it is understandable Barbadians and visitors alike are anticipating the fun, frolic and heady revelry that will characterize the festival over the next few weekends.
Such a carefree view of the Sweetest Summer Festival would be okay if the order of the day was fun only; but if this annual event is to continue being the nurturing ground for Barbados’ fledgling music industry, or the yardstick by which our music and culture are to be judged internationally, then there must be applied a seriousness that now seems to evade us.
And we are not alone in this concern, since a number of veteran calypsonians, of whom the most vocal has been former two-time monarch John King, have expressed their dismay at the poor social commentary this year – certainly from what the calypso judges have presented us with.
Mr King pulled no punches after witnessing performances by who were supposed to be Barbados’ best 19 kaiso exponents at the Pic-O-De-Crop Semi-Finals at the Gymnasium of the Garfield Sobers Complex two Friday nights ago.
Surely, for a semi-final of 38 pieces of original socio-political commentary and wit, the shortage of provocative material was glaring. Their peers and their critics say that even the multi-crowned Gabby and RPB could have done better, breezing into the Pic-O-De-Crop Finals as they did with some simplistic material.
Let it be known, however, that the veterans Gabby and Bag have a grand reputation for shining on finals night, so they will pull out all the stops for that edge in stage presence and rendition, enough to beat fellow finalists who may be strong on lyrics only.
It will therefore be interesting to see how finalists like Blood and Adrian Clarke enhance their lyrical consistency with a higher level of stage skill.
Meanwhile, we cannot help being bothered that some of the best – certainly some of the better – material and talent are being missed, or, as some commentators say, sidelined at the price of not having a big name. We cannot be serious about the development of the calypso contest if we confine its annual assessment to some comfort zone for its adjudicators.
Fun and frolic we must have all Crop Over, until Grand Kadooment on Spring Garden, but not at the expense of the recognition of the new and the bold and the different in the art form that helps to drive the season.